Saturday, October 26, 2013

I wrote a long gripe

I wrote a long gripe yesterday - completely dissatisfied with teaching. I taught a lesson in a way I don't normally - but it was introducing a topic completely foreign to the kids. Of course, I was observed and of course it was a long lecture giving a huge overview of what was coming. And of course the observers hated it.

The kids didn't.

The ones who have had me before thanked me for doing it that way and putting the new vocabulary in context. They knew I would guide them through understanding. And they trust me.

I don't know how to prepare a lesson (I have 4 preps) to teach the topic to a wide range of students (in both ability and interest) and then be able to switch to a dog and pony show because an admin with a PE degree (who sends an email to the entire county with a noun instead of a verb) cannot grasp the level of math the state says all students must learn.

"If I don't understand it, the students don't understand it."

You undervalue them and think I have to dumb it down more. I think they have the ability to reach a higher rung if it is offered to them.

So, my big question this week is how do I learn to switch gears when they walk in and give the admins a dog and pony show so I can go back to teaching when they leave?

Oh, and I am tired of the disrespect from admins, peers, students. I find - once again - that I start to email a life preserver to someone, say chuck it, and delete the email. I have a mental list of seniors who are going to need recommendations and I find I am mentally crossing names off every day. I love some of them. I wouldn't give you 2 cents for the rest of them.

3 comments:

That is a hard one. I used to be able to switch gears all the time, but I don't think I would be able to do it with all the new stuff around. Besides, most of the pbservers have pre conceived notions of how they will find the lesson.

I feel your pain, but, I don't see a cure. Perhaps you can ask your principal to model the lesson for you? I did that once and the AP never bothered me again.